Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have turned to Ishan Kishan to lead the side in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins, who is expected to miss the first few matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Abhishek Sharma will act as his deputy.
The decision comes on the back of Kishan’s sensational 2026 FIFA World Cup T20 campaign at home, where he amassed 317 runs in nine matches at an average of 35.22 and a blistering strike rate of 193.29, with three fifties seen for his efforts.
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But while his credentials as a batsman are unquestionable at this point, his lack of experience as an IPL captain remains a talking point. This inevitably leads to a bigger question: have SRH make the right calland is Kishan ready to shoulder the responsibility of leading the champions in 2016?
WAS ISHAN KISHAN CAPTAINED IN T20S BEFORE?
Kishan has captained the team in 29 T20 matches since 2019, winning 24 and losing only five. In the latest edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he led Jharkhand to the title with the team winning 10 out of 11 matches.
They won all seven of their matches in the elite Group D before defeating Punjab and Madhya Pradesh in Group A of the Super League. Jharkhand’s nine-match winning streak ended when Andhra beat them by nine runs at the DY Patil Academy in Ambi, Pune.
However, they bounced back in style, beating Haryana by 69 runs in the final at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. It all points to one conclusion: Kishan has already proven that he has the credentials to be an effective T20 captain.
Ishan Kishan has a win-loss record as captain in T20s
Overall
Matches – 29 | Won – 24 | Loss – 5
In Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025
Matches – 11 | Won – 10 | Loss – 1
HOW DID CAPTAIN ISHAN KISHAN FOCUS ON THE DOUGH?
Kishan often thrived with the added responsibility of captaincy. In 29 T20 matches as a left-handed captain, he scored 1,078 runs at an impressive average of 43.12 – well above his overall career T20 average of 30.82. Notably, four of his seven T20 centuries came while he was leading the side.
His maiden century as captain came against Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 when he smashed an unbeaten 100 at the Chukkapalli Pitchaiah Cricket Ground in Mulapadu. But his best shot as a captain probably came in the final of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025where he blasted a 45-ball hundred at the top of the order to power Jharkhand to their first title in the competition.
Kishan hit six fours and 10 sixes in that innings as Jharkhand piled up 262 for three before bowling out Haryana for 193 in 18.3 overs. His next two centuries as T20 captain came against Manipur (113 in 2019) and Tripura (113 in 2025). The numbers make one thing clear: the captaincy rarely weighed on him – if anything, it brought out the best in him.
Captain Ishan Kishan as a batsman in T20s
Matches – 29 | Running – 1078 | Average – 43.12 | Century – 4 | Fifties – 4
Kishan has the highest score as a T20 captain
- Off 113* off 62 balls against Manipur at Mulapadu, 2019
- 113* off 50 balls against Tripura at Ahmedabad, 2025
- Off 101 off 49 balls against Haryana at Pune, 2025
- 100 Off 55 Balls vs Jammu & Kashmir at Mulapad, 2019
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
18 March 2026 19:54 IST
